Driving Sports

What inevitably follows destruction is creation. You could see that as the upside of the recent automaker meltdown. Brands are reviewed, analyzed, considered. Some, like the once promising Saturn nameplate, will be picked apart and sold to the highest bidder. Others will be picked up, dusted off and given a fresh set of clothes.

Lincoln is one of the lucky brands to not only survive the “Carpocalypse” (tip of the hat to Jalopnik), it has been given a fresh injection of bold design that has been missing from the marque since John Kennedy was president.

Founded in 1917 by Henry Leland and acquired by Ford only a few years later, Lincoln has built cars that have been enjoyed by presidents and pimps alike. These days, it isn’t the 1961 convertible enjoyed by Kennedy or the original 1936 Zephyr that is most likely to come to mind first. No, it’s the blinged-out and rebadged Ford Expedition (aka Navigator) or, even worse, the eternally bland Lincoln Town Car.

There are two major issues with a lineup consisting of a big SUV and a generic limo: first off, the market of rapper-focused SUVs just ain’t what it used to be. Secondly, Town Car buyers are so old, it’s unlikely they will ever need to buy a second car. That is a pickle.

That brings us here, to San Francisco and the site of an original Ford Model A manufacturing plant on the Bay. It’s not used for building cars anymore, but the solar-powered and completely refurbished facility is playing host for the launch of the new crossover Lincoln hopes will redefine the brand for a long time to come: The Lincoln MKT. (The Lincoln Market?)

The design language that started with last year’s Volvo S80-based MKS and moved to the Mazda6-based MKZ, is now gracing the body of a chassis shared with the Ford Flex – but you couldn’t tell it had any relationship to the Flex by simply looking at it. Where the Flex clearly resembles a brick-on-wheels, the MKT has flowing curves and aggressive lines.

Smile, it's the new Lincoln.

“The MKT does not share a single body panel with the Ford Flex,” said Kate Pearce, marketing manager for the new MKT. She continued on with shining expository; how the interior quality has been greatly improved, the impressive “jewel-like” cluster, the “class leading legroom” and more.

For the most part I tend to agree. The design is certainly bold, with only a few minor fumbles: the arch above the rear-wheels bumping into the glass is disruptive, for example. Inside there are a few uneven trim pieces. The sunglass cubby, by the sunroof controls, is shockingly rough and cheap. With so little to criticize inside, I’m going to point the shotgun at that. It’s something Lexus would never allow. Details, details, details. Even now, sitting here writing this, that eyeglass holder really irritates me.

Moving on…

With a big car (and the MKT is big,) you need a big motor. Lucky for Lincoln that Ford has a new mill the stable (shared with the Taurus SHO,) the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. “V8 Power with V6 economy,” Pearce commented. The numbers reflect that: 355hp and 350 ft-lbs of peak torque at only 1,500RPM – on regular 87 octane. Economy is respectable, too, for a vehicle of this size with all-wheel drive: 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.

The "Bird's Eye" navigation view.

I personally won’t ever label something that gets under 30mpg as being “ECO” anything. But if warm and fuzzy naming is what it takes to bring a motor like this to the market, they can call it the “cuddly fuzzy bunny with 6 twinkle star power effects” for all I care. It’s brilliant. To combat turbo lag, Ford went with twin small turbos, and piled on direct injection and some other tricks. The result is a motor that hits peak torque at 1500 rpm and sits at the full 350 ft-lbs all the way to 5,240 rpm.

With all this talk of style and power, you certainly get the feeling I’m not talking about a car built for grandpa, am I? No, according to Lincoln the person the MKT was built for is named, “Susan.” Seriously. Every car company does this and I find it amusing every time. They build up a single target buyer, name it, style it, decide where he or she shops, what clothes they wear, how many kids he or she has and what his or her favorite movie is. Or close thereto. Marketing types speak about these psycographic identities with such detail and swagger I get the creepy feeling there’s a separate memo outlining “Susan’s” favorite sex positions and what boy band she’d be most likely to fantasize about.

Who is this new Lincoln target demographic? Pearce calls their fictional character “sophisticated and sexy” and continues to tell us that Susan is affluent, educated, has two kids, has style and grace and gets excited when people ask her about her car. “What is that” people will ask our fictional character, and Susan will be excited to tell them all about it… when she’s not too busy breaking glass ceilings and being super mom at the same time.

Yes, Susan is like a Melanie Griffith character from the 90s. No doubt her fictional husband is a Don Johnson character (probably driving an MKS.) I hate her already. But I like the car. So I guess that says something.

You're not "luxury" unless you have a big grille.

How does this square with the MKT? Since I’m not a go-getter businesswoman who likes salsa on my omelet and long walks on the beach, my opinion isn’t one that really matters. But I will try to put on my best Susan goggles, in the off chance that someone like Susan will actually read a car review and not rely on her Oprah Book Club friends for an opinion, which is a far more likely scenario.

Susan, you’re a successful and sexy woman. The car has curves that suit you. The wide hips and big grin-like grille – oh, crap. I’m going to have to start again. Ahem.

Susan, I know you like power but you also want to save the planet. The new EcoBoost is finally the motor you’ve been looking for and though you’d never buy a Taurus SHO, because you’re a smart and stylish girl, you can now get that same awesome motor in a car that’s big enough to carry the whole family.  The cabin is just like you; it’s wrapped in leather and likes jewels. Er, has a jewel-like display.

Let’s talk about the second row of seats, instead. There’s lots of room for legs, and between the seats is an optional fridge that can hold a bottle of Champagne for when you’re feeling sexy (or is that stylish? Did I mention the seats also fold flat? Also, you should never, never, drive after drinking Champagne.)

One last try: Susan, you’ve done very well for yourself and though I know you’ve had your eye on the Audi Q7 for a long time now, during today’s economic climate such excess is not “cool.” What is “cool” is to drive something that loudly notifies everyone that you spent less, but that you’re also conscious of the world we live in. Supporting American jobs is also a plus. So, with the Lincoln MKT with EcoBoost, built in the good-old U.S.A. you get all of that.

Rear view of the magnesium lift-gate.

Susan, don’t worry your successful and beautiful mind that Toyotas and Hondas are built in the U.S.A., too. Don’t even begin concern yourself about how honestly un-ecological 22 mpg with 350hp is. Fact is, you’ll look good in this car and people will know you’re being considerate of how they feel. It’s a win/win.

Now, for the opinion of a 37-year-old, follically-challenged, father of two: This is a big car that has a bold new look that will do well to finally break the “old man” Lincoln tradition. The motor is superb and the suspension is surprisingly agile considering the girth it has to heft around corner. This is actually a very interesting car that points to good things for Lincoln, if people are willing to give it a chance.

Against the Audi Q7 the Lincoln MKT can hold its own in almost every way. It’s easy when you start with a near blank slate and know the exact measure of your competition out of the gate. Still, I could potentially see myself in the Audi Q7, but I’d have a hard time laying down $50,00 for a Lincoln. At this level of luxury reason doesn’t have to matter, subjective is more important than objective. There’s not a yardstick made that can measure that. For me, the MKT doesn’t yet measure up in that department. But at least it’s close.

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